HC Deb 25 November 1952 vol 508 cc228-9
21. Mr. Rankin

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many junior colleges are now functioning in Glasgow.

Mr. Henderson Stewart

Glasgow Education Authority provides eight further education centres which students attend under day-release arrangements for one day or more each week.

Mr. Rankin

Does not the hon. Gentleman consider that that is far too small a number? Does not he realise that, in view of the apparent increase in social delinquency in a great city like Glasgow, a more vigorous prosecution of the attempt to build more junior colleges would be of great benefit and might moderate the talk about re-introducing the cat?

Mr. Stewart

I am in sympathy with the hon. Gentleman's views. About 10 per cent. of the young people in employment in Scotland now attend day-release courses.

Mr. Rankin

That is a small number.

Mr. Stewart

I agree. I should like to see it increased; but the junior colleges provided by the Act after the war were stopped by the Act of 1949, to our great regret.

Mr. Rankin

May I take it from the hon. Gentleman's answer that he intends to go ahead with the building of junior colleges and that there is no ban on their expansion?

Mr. Stewart

For the reasons which the hon. Gentleman knows well, there is not sufficient steel. That is the only holdup. Were there steel, I should be most anxious to go ahead.

Mr. Rankin

Then why de-nationalise?

Mr. T. Fraser

Will the hon. Gentleman have a look at the Act of 1949, because I think that he will find that that Act did not stop the junior colleges in Glasgow or elsewhere in Scotland?

Mr. Stewart

In fact, the provisions of the earlier Act were to have been brought into effect not later than 1st April, 1950, but because of post-war economic difficulties they were postponed indefinitely by the Education (Scotland) Act, 1949. Those are the facts.

23. Mr. Rankin

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Glasgow school children who had attained 15 years of age at the last school leaving date continued their education; how many completed the full secondary course; and what percentage this was of the total school enrolment for this city.

Mr. Henderson Stewart

I regret that it has not been possible to obtain the information requested in time for this reply, but I will write to the hon. Member as soon as I have received it.

Mr. Rankin

In view of that, I must ask for the right to postpone this question for future oral examination.